Cilantro Lime Black Bean Soup

March 9, 2018

This post is sponsored by Schultz’s. Sponsored posts, along with affiliate links, are what enable bloggers like me to maintain and operate sites that are free to the public. That said, I only work with products and brands that I personally use and would feel proud to give as a gift.

I love this recipe not only because it tastes amazing, but because it can be used as either a dip or a soup. Need an appetizer for a party? Divide this recipe into a hefty serving of dip and make the rest into soup for lunch or dinner by simply adding a little more stock. The star of the show here is the Schultz’s chili lime sauce that brings an intense, cool, and fresh flavor to ordinary black bean soup. If you like things a little spicier, feel free to add some extra jalapeño in the soup or as a topping. This is just such a versatile dish that you can take it in many directions, hint: the dip from this recipe is also an excellent stuffing for a bean burrito. Don’t like ham? No problem, replace that with shrimp or chicken (just add both at the end and don’t blend them like you would with the ham).

Step-by-Step

Step 1: Coat the poblano pepper with olive oil and sprinkle with Applewood smoked salt. Roast at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. You want the pepper to darken somewhat and for the skin to blister. I roast them because the carbohydrates in the pepper will caramelize somewhat producing a sweet and smoky flavor.

Step 2: Chop onion, jalapeño, garlic and cilantro.

Step 3: While pepper is roasting, heat oil in large nonstick stock pot over medium heat

Step 4: Add onion, jalapeño, and garlic, to the oil stirring occasionally until they soften, and onions become translucent. This will take about 10 minutes.

Step 5: Add oregano and chili powder, ½ cup of Schultz’s Chili Lime Cooking Sauce stir and continue cooking over low heat. This Schultz’s sauce is very versatile and can be used on about anything. In this soup it is a game changer.

Step 6: When poblano is done, roughly chop it. Unlike the jalapeño, I don’t seed the poblano but you can remove them if you like. Poblano peppers aren’t very hot so the seed removal isn’t mandatory even for those that don’t like the heat.

Step 7: Add poblano and ham to the pot. You can get the diced ham pre-cooked in most any grocery stores or use leftover ham from a previous night’s dinner if you have it. Cook for 5 minutes.

Step 8: Strain and rinse the beans before adding them to the pot along with a handful of chopped cilantro and 2 cups of broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

Step 9: To make the dip, ladle the mixture into a blender and puree. Set aside to cool before serving.

Step 10: To make the soup, ladle 3/4 of the mixture into a blender along with 2 additional cups of chicken broth and puree.

Step 11: Stir the thickened broth mixture back into the pot with remaining ¼ of the mixture. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Step 12: Serve with jalapeño, sour cream, cilantro and fresh lime.

Make this Cilantro Lime Black Bean Soup Recipe:

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew Eads is a former US Marine, self-taught gourmet griller, and cookbook author. Building on a lifelong passion for cooking and the memories of his dad’s less-than-stellar BBQ, Matthew has learned the ways of the grill through reading, practical application, and a lot of trial and error. Learn More | Contact Matthew